Friday, June 3, 2011

Our body's Bootcamp
The immune system is not about a specific position or organ. Instead, it requires different organs to work together in harmony. Our skin, for example, is a natural fortress. When the invaders were sighted, Langerhans cell sound the alarm bell. Antibacterial substances within our sweat and sebum trap bacteria secrete mucous while tears and enzymes to break down the cell wall of the invaders.
The bone marrow and thymus are our primary Lymphoid organs. Lymph nodes are the peripheral Lymphoid organs. For a long time, people have opted to remove their Appendix and tonsils, thinking that they have no significant function in the body. However, recent studies indicate that these lymphatic structure help the immune system.
Soldier Factory: bone marrow
The bone marrow produces red blood cells and white blood cells, the soldiers of the immune system. Every second, about 8 million blood cells die and are regenerated in the same issue here.
Training camp: Timo
Just like soldiers train for war by the Navy, infantry and air force, thyme assigns their duties in the fight against diseases T cells also secrete Timo hormones that regulate immune.
Battlegrounds: lymph nodes
Lymph nodes are little pockets of battlefields with billions of white blood cells. When the fight against infection, the lymph nodes swell with foreign invaders and immune cells to the point where you can actually hear them. Swollen lymph nodes are a good indication that you have an infection and the immune system is working. As the army's drainage system, lymph nodes filter lymph fluid, which carries away waste products such as viruses and bacteria. The body contains about four times more blood lymph.
Filter blood: spleen
The spleen is a basin of blood. Filter the blood by removing dead skin cells of blood as well as engulfed viruses and bacteria. Also activates b cells to produce large amounts of antibodies.
Throat guards: tonsils
Tonsils maintain a constant vigilance against the invaders that enter the body through the nose and mouth. People who have had their tonsils removed showed a marked increase in getting sore throat and Hodgkin's disease--which indicates the importance of the tonsils in the protection of the upper respiratory tract.
Immune Assistant: Appendix
Appendix b-cell maturation assists with the production of antibodies (IgA). It also acts as a traffic Coordinator, producing molecules that direct the movement of leukocytes in other parts of the body. The appendix also expose the white blood cells for invaders in the digestive tract and helps suppress harmful antibody responses favoring local immunity.
Guards: intestinal Peyer's patch
As an appendix, Peyer's patches reacts to the invaders in the intestine. They are vital for the control of microbial invaders in our foods.
Nutritional immunology
War and terrorism words conjures images of bloodshed, suffering and complete chaos. National security is a top priority for our leaders employing round-the-clock surveillance and the use of well-trained soldiers, sophisticated weapons and defenses of back-up.
Similarly, our body is always looking for enemies, even invisible ones. The air we breathe, the food and drink we consume, apparently without stain surfaces and objects we touch or use everyday all swarm germs-bacteria, viruses, dust, pests and fungi-just waiting to catch us unawares. These through various gateways on our skin.
Fortunately, too we are protected by an army of sophisticated-our immune system. This army never takes for granted the enemies. An itchy throat or tearing eyes are subtle signs that is always at work. Ironically, perhaps because I do not see it, our army is often ignored. We protect our heart, skin and other organs, but often do not consider the health of the immune system. Only when we break down and become sick also.
Our immune system is an amazing work! At any given second, it calls for a concerted effort and complex by countless different battalions immune works ceaselessly to protect us, not only by the invaders, but also from our inner cells that can mutate and become cancerous. Without our immune system, a simple dust particle would kill us!